Mind-blowing Limiting Belief Analogy – my Trailway “Discovery”

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Way too often we play small in our lives. Beliefs we adopted from parents, teachers, society, life experience, etc. keep us from truly exploring and expressing all we were meant to be, do or have. Limiting beliefs sabotage our lives!

This lesson was brought home to me through a mind-blowing geography-based analogy as explained in the video above.

Imagine quitting on a dream when what you wanted to be, do, or have was just around the corner. Or even worse, imagine quitting on yourself when your next stage of evolution as the individualized expression of the Divine being that you have always been was just about to emerge… Not a fun picture, eh!?

Don’t give up! Don’t play small! Don’t sabotage the miracle of your life!

Enjoy the journey and know there are more destinations ahead. As long as you’re alive, you’re growing, evolving, discovering, being more of who you were always meant to be.

And that’s one amazing being! A truth from birth to death and beyond.

A False Truth Based on a Misunderstanding

When I first got my hybrid bicycle, 5 years ago, I was thrilled to finally  be able to travel the Trailway – a cross-province gravel path built upon the old railway bed.

Someone told me that this trail near my new home went all the way to Paradise, a neighbouring town.

Actually, they said it went all the way to the ocean in Conception Bay South, but that there was a section between Paradise and CBS that could only be done on foot or ATV for now.

She then explained that this rough section started after the 2nd pond.

So I headed out on my own one day 5 years ago to find the ponds. When I got to the second one about 2.5 hours later, I rested, then headed back home downhill in 1/3 the time on a slight downhill. What freedom! What joy!

I was thrilled with my success.

I then told my friend Leslie about it and we cycled it a few times every year since. She assumed I was telling her the truth, adopting my belief that Neil’s Pond was the end of the road.

But when I looked on a map for the spelling of the name of the first pond for a video in July, I was confused to find out that the first pond was actually called Brazil or Neville’s Pond – not Octagon Pond as I’d believed, having remembered my source’s mention of Neil’s and Octagon Ponds.

So where was Octagon Pond? Looking at a map on my iPhone, my jaw dropped. Octagon Pond was after Neil’s Pond, behind the big Sobey’s grocery store.

My original source of information had meant that Neil’s Pond was the small pond and Octagon the big. Brazil Pond must have been a puddle in her mind. Either that or I misunderstood something.

But for 5 years, I believed that Neil’s Pond was the end of the road…. Yikes! 

So this year, I went beyond Neil’s Pond, not 5 minutes away by bike to the real end of the road, the 3.8km loop around Octagon Pond.

Mind-blowing. For me anyway.

It just kept repeating in my mind for weeks after I discovered the real truth – “Where else can this be happening in my life?”

Yes, I’d enjoyed the journey. Yes, I loved my time at Neil’s Pond. But there was more! There was bigger! There was Truth!!! Right around the corner!

Have fun resting your awareness on your life to see where your limiting beliefs may have stemmed from a misunderstanding, falsehood, or ego protective mechanism to keep you small.

Then bust those limiting beliefs and allow yourself to be, do, and have all the goodness you can imagine or more.

You deserve the truth!

Other Cycling Mini-Movies

Cycling is such a source of pleasure & freedom for me. It’s also, as is all of life, a source of philosophical tidbits.  You can read more about what my time with Sephira (my bike) has taught me in another post here.

If you’d like to join me on a few other bike rides as I learned to use my camera and iMovie app, here are 4 other short videos I created earlier this year. It’s never too late to learn new skills – get creative, have fun, and enjoy the journey. 

I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel as I don’t post everything on my blog.

  1. May 10 – First Cycle of the Year (1:46) – watch it here.
  2. May 16 – Going With My Flow (4:39) – watch it here.
  3. June 5 – A Letter From the Sea (9:34)  – watch it here.
  4. July 13 – Sunday Cycle to Neil’s Pond (4:08)  – watch it here.

 

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The Spirit of Cape Broyle – sight & soul candy

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Sight & soul candy! That’s what my house-sister called this video of my staycation in Cape Broyle as we watched it on the big screen TV. You can’t be in a rush for this 50-minute contemplation of my love of the beauty and the beauty of love. Enjoy!

Once again, my friend and Airbnb Superhost Gordon Martin dropped me off, this time for a 4-night stay at Kelly’s on the Loop in Cape Broyle, 45-minutes drive from my house.

Like with every time before it, I thought this was the best staycation and most inspiring photo & video rich environment for my creative play.  “We love thee Newfoundland” (lyrics from the anthem).

There were so many highlights:

  • an afternoon & a sunset kayaking tours with A Wilder Experience
  • 2 glorious 3-hour sunrise photo sessions alone on the beach 3 minutes from the Airbnb (even if I got cold on the 1st and forgot my tripod on the 2nd but decided not to run back as the colours were already blazing)
  • exploring the rock formations & eating blueberries at the Southern River & later swimming in it with my friend Kim MacPherson, my long-time pirate adventurer (explorer) buddy.
  • walking a couple of hours on the East Coast Trail with my friend Tina White, who journeys at my mindful pace being a certified forest bathing guide
  • arriving at the harbour just in time to witness the unloading of a good haul of cod and having one of the men say “What’s your name again?” as he guessed I was the gal his wife had talked about after meeting me at The Red House in Ferryland the week before. Small world!
  • walking 3 hours to the trailhead in neighbouring Admiral’s Cove and, when I’d decided I’d had enough just making my way there, getting a ride back with a couple leaving one of the houses in an antique Cadillac (with my mask, of course).
  • driving back to Admiral’s Cove with my friend Kim who stayed overnight to see it in a different light, then going one little town further to witness Brigus South at the magic light hour.
  • having my first French fries since the beginning of COVID at the Riverside restaurant 3 doors down from my Airbnb… and a couple of soft serve ice creams at their take-out window.

I feel truly blessed to have had so many opportunities this summer to explore this province I’ve called home since 2011.

I also feel grateful that I have this way to share in my abundance with you through my passion for photography & videography.

I may have had Ireland on my 2020 intuitive vision board (instructions on how to create yours here). But as you can see below, I also had “Newfoundland Revisited”. My heart / intuition knew long before I did what I needed this year. I’m glad I’m following through on it.

Intuition into action – may it also lead you in your happy healthy life.

 

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Ferryland on Foot & Tips for Intuitive Living

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There’s something very special about sitting on the toilet watching more than a dozen whales spouting in the distance.

With ocean views from all 4 sides of The Red House in Ferryland, I excitedly walked in circles day & night. I even grabbed my camera during a mid-night pee break to capture the full moon illuminating the herringbone clouds in the mackerel sky. That was before I even left my bedroom!

I don’t usually get much sleep the first night of my staycations. My childlike curiosity, wonder, and excitement kick in with so much newness to discover and beauty to breathe in. The creative spark lights my fire!

This time, my friend and Airbnb Superhost Gordon Martin dropped me off in Ferryland, Newfoundland & Labrador for a 3 night/4 day stay. As you can see in the video, this 5-bedroom iconic house was ideally situated for my solo Ferryland on foot experience.

Not having a car can be such a blessing – you see so much more of where you’re at! I feel I really got to know the area, and with this video, you will too.

I walked an average of 8 hours a day with thousands of photo/video pauses along the way. I wandered through the archeological dig & harbour, around town, on the beach, to the lighthouse, up on the old railway bed, along the main road and wherever my attention pulled me.

With strong winds keeping the boats in the harbour and COVID-19 keeping most of the doors locked, I often found myself on my own under magnificent skies.

The crowd waiting for their Lighthouse Picnic, however, was the largest gathering I’d been in since the pandemic started.

Once I’d called from a waiting station and received my picnic bag, however, there was plenty of room on the point to find a secluded spot to settle in and enjoy my curried chicken sandwich, lemonade, pasta salad & carrot cake.

As I then lay in the balmy 18 degree sun (64 F) to watch the grasses dance, a whale swam right below, enjoying its own picnic.

I was grateful that the winds were unusually calm long enough for my mini tripod to stay still during a time-lapse shoot of the “picnic ants” – my favourite part of this whole video.

And yes, it’s a challenge cleaning cream cheese icing off an iPhone XI Pro Max after trying to manoeuvre one-handed photography while holding up the cake…

There were so many awe-inspiring, heart-expanding, smile-inducing moments as I gratefully explored my surroundings. I can only hope that you can feel that for yourself as you enjoy this 30-minute video to the song “Into the Deep” by Christopher Lloyd Clarke.

All this is an hour’s drive from my home in St. John’s, NL.

Intuitive Living Tip

Following your bliss is part of the intuitive living recipe. 

Exploring your Intuition into Action Treasure Map means taking one inspired step at a time, not knowing what it might lead to. It asks you to trust. From baby steps to leaps of faith, that trust will open up your world to you.

That’s right. You need to embrace the mystery and trust that both the journey and the destination holds treasures.

I started taking photography and film-making workshops 20 years ago for the fun of it.

My plans to return overseas to teach English Second Language were derailed when I received intuitive guidance during meditation to go study photography on Vancouver Island for a year after completing my Masters of Education.

That led to working with the late Courtney Milne (world renown photographer of sacred sites & nature) and his wife & co-author Sherrill Miller for a couple of years in Saskatoon before diving deeper into my own art.

Intuition guides you, stretches you, encourages you to emerge more fully into who you are.

Like pieces of a puzzle, each inspired action fits into an evolving bigger picture.

That’s the feeling I get with my new passion for videography.

Right now, I’m creating and sharing these videos as a natural extension of being inspired to offer Gordon photos of the Airbnbs he manages in exchange for a stay there. 

This emerged from my need for nature retreats while my monies are tied up in credit in Ireland for the 2-month trip I’d planned there before COVID hit.

Before that, however, came the inspiration to invest in an iPhone XI Pro and to take a couple of video classes at the Apple Store in Ottawa while I was there for Christmas. I then started playing with iMovie on my phone to make fun videos like this cross-country ski one to share on Facebook.

I don’t know where this is leading, but I have a sense that all this nature & tourism passion play has helped me develop skill sets that could open up new income doors for me. It’s already opened creative vistas for a fulfilling summer around the bay. 

I’m excited. I’m curious. I trust that it’s all evolving perfectly one inspired step at a time.

If you look back at your life, can you see how taking inspired steps years or even decades ago has shaped where you are now? What inspired actions are calling you today? 

Embrace the mystery. Feel the fear but do it anyway. Many are being called to make changes or pivot in their careers to better serve the needs and generate income.

If I hadn’t stretched my comfort zone and reached out to Gordon at the beginning of the summer with this idea, this video wouldn’t exist.

Watching it last night on YouTube on the big screen TV at a friend’s house, it blew my mind… so much better than on a phone!!!

It had been a couple of weeks since I’d created it and tears came to my eyes. I couldn’t believe that this had been created through me. I felt so honoured. So amazed.

I’m not bragging here. No. I was reliving the awe and gratitude for the beauty I explored & expressed and for the path that led me here.

And now, I’m saying yes! to where it may lead. So may it be.

May you continue to explore & express your passions in these uncertain times. There’s never been a better time to listen in and take inspired action – from intuition into action, may you have a happy, healthy life.

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A Moment of Wisdom

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The Event -> Judgment -> Feeling -> Reaction Cycle

Are you like me? Do you have days when you’re much more your human self than your Spirit Self? I’m sure you do. This video story is about one of mine and my efforts to re-align with that Divine Essence within all of us.

It was a perfect opportunity to see the Event, Judgment, Feeling & Reaction Cycle that one of my mentors, Dr. Greg Baer of RealLove.com often talks about. He teaches unconditional love in the most practical way I’ve experienced.

So listen to my story in the video above and come back to see how it relates to a few of Greg’s stories below.

Real Love Story: The Splasher

One of the stories he tells is of a woman’s reaction to being splashed at the pool.

At first the splashing was hitting her feet, which was a bit annoying. But then it got worse and started to get her pants and then her top wet. She was really pissed off and got up to go tell that inconsiderate swimmer to stop it.

When she stood up, however, she could see over the lawn chair that had been blocking her view, immediately realizing the man was drowning.

Her initial judgment had caused her to be angry. Correcting her judgement with the truth immediately changed her feelings and her reaction.

Instead of telling the guy off, she quickly took action to save his life. No anger or blame left at all.

Real Love Story: The Bumper

Another story is of a man happily walking in the park, enjoying all the sights, sounds, and smells.

He accidentally brushed against another nature lover, who stopped, exchanged a few pleasant words about the weather and beauty before they both went on their way.

The man was still in his own world and accidentally brushed against a woman who was so involved in her conversation with a friend that she didn’t even notice the bump.

A third man, however, came into the park already angry. So when the same man brushed against him, he considered it an attack, jumped back with great drama to make his point, twisted his ankle and had to be carried out of the park on a stretcher, screaming and blaming that man for his injury.

And to take the story even further, a fourth man, severely empty, afraid and depressed came into the park with a gun, already determined to leave this world. So when the man brushed against him, he took it as proof that no one loved or even noticed him, and told the man that what he was about to do was his fault. Then he shot himself.

Was the man who bumped into people responsible for any of the feelings and reactions of those 4 other people?  No. He was responsible for being a bit careless, yes, but it was the judgment these people made that caused their feelings and reactions.

The event was the same in all 4 cases. The rest depended on how empty or afraid these people were, or how loved and loving they were feeling.

Event -> Judgement -> Feeling -> Reaction ->

And as I mentioned in the video, it’s a cycle. It keeps going on. Whatever reaction you have will influence some of the events in your life. You get the picture.

Dr. Baer has a whole series of books on Real Love – from the basic to Real Love in marriage, parenting, at work, etc. I’ve read them all and recommend them.

Peace Be With You

I hope my story (which wasn’t as dramatic thank goodness) and those from Dr. Baer’s books help you become more aware of the judgments, feelings and reactions in your life.

May you do what you need to raise your vibration, feel loved by your Team of Divine Helpers and other people, and have a happy healthy life.

If one of my art or intuitive service offerings can nourish your transformational journey, it’ll be my pleasure to serve you.

Peace be with you!

Limited Edition Spirit Calling Cards

These are the cards I featured in my video.

Created as a fundraiser, this 88-card deck is a great way to tune into your intuition for guidance in your day.

You can use them by yourself or with others to stimulate creative problem-solving and decision-making. I make several suggestions of how to use them on the instruction sheet.

They’ve become an integral part of my spiritual practice. May they serve you too.

I only have 11 Limited Edition decks left. 111 signed & numbered decks will ever be in existence!

Each combination of images & words can open up limitless possibilities for you. 

Buy yours here for $111 Canadian (~$80 US).

 

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The Nosy Neighbour Staycation Challenge & my Quidi Vidi Adventure

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Here’s a fun summertime challenge for you. Be a nosy neighbour in your city, town, or village. With COVID-19, staycations are the way to go!

Pick a neighbourhood, leave the car behind, and discover it in the same way a tourist would for the very first time – keeping safe social distance & practices, of course.

Playing tourist always brings out that childlike curiosity & wonder in me – important elements to the intuitive life.

Have fun with it – see where you’re inspired to explore and who you’re curious to talk to. If you can, stay overnight for a fuller experience.

That’s what I did!

It was a cold and rainy July 16th when my friend Leslie & I headed to Quidi Vidi, a neighbourhood of the city of St. John’s that used to be its own village. Now, it’s a mix of fishing stages reminiscent of the seasonal fisheries of the 1600s to upscale inns, restaurants, artisan quarters and a famous brewery.

We stayed at the historic Christ Church that I’d been curious about for years. Did you know it was and Airbnb in the summer? You’ll get an inside look at this beautifully appointed residence owned by Aiden & Elizabeth Duff and managed by my friends Gordon Martin & Linda Chantal Hewitt of People Place & Things.

I also found myself interviewing a few of the locals for some colourful and delicious til bits. Trust me, for a nature photographer, this was a stretch of my comfort zones, but a lot of fun. Both my guests were very cooperative, informative, and kind.

Thank you to Skipper Ring, storyteller, tour guide & musician who shares stories of growing up in Quidi Vidi, beating an 80-year record in the Royal St. John’s, Regatta, and crafting the lear fence along his stage.

Thank you also to  Sam Primmer, one of the managers at Mallard Cottage, currently #22 in Canada’s Top 100 restaurants. Our 3-hour feast was a welcomed splurge – both our first time there and my first restaurant meal since early March due to COVID-19.

So treat yourself with this 24-minute video as I take on the role of nosy neighbour in Quidi Vidi village for a day. 

Oh, and if seeing Skipper Ring’s breath in mid-July discourages you from coming to Newfoundland & Labrador, don’t let it. We got sunshine & outdoor swimming weather right after it!

So what neighbourhood are you inspired to explore in your city, town, or county? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Where did you go? What were you thrilled to discover? 

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To the Cape Shore & Back – a visual meditation

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Welcome! For the next 47 minutes, sit back and relax with me on the Cape Shore of this beautiful island I call home.

Allow Mother Earth’s healing energy and Newfoundland & Labrador’s scenic beauty to soothe your soul and nourish your transformational journey.  

What a blessing this trip was for both myself and my friend Leslie. May it now be one for you too.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Thank you to my friends and long time art patrons Gordon Martin & Linda Chantal Hewitt of People Places & Things for arranging this trip for me.

They manage several Airbnbs, including Gordon’s cottage which you experienced in my Affirmations for a Happy Healthy Life video. As an aside, it featured three of their 8 Dominique Hurley original paintings.

If you recall, I’d asked Gordon if I could stay a few days at his cottage. He gladly said yes and was happy to receive the gift of my photos to help with his promotional efforts.

I’m a firm believer in Ask & You Shall Receive.

I’d asked Source & my Team of Divine Helpers for inspiration, which led to the idea of contacting Gordon.

Now he’s the one asking me to take more creative retreats at the other properties in his care. What a win-win!

I may not have had my 2-month retreat in Ireland due to COVID, but I’m feeling blessed and rejuvenated, finding creative ways to travel & practice my art in these interesting times.

Thank you also to Irene Collins Carr, the owner of the Airbnb in St. Bride’s for agreeing to have my friend Leslie & I stay there for 3 nights. What a beautiful location and a beautiful home! If this video inspires you to book it for your own Cape Shore holiday, contact my friend Gordon here.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my friend Leslie for accompanying me. We travel really well together, plus she has a car and loves to cook. Those healthy vegan meals were a real treat. The desert you see in the video was a roasted rhubarb cake with vanilla cashew cream filling on a coconut crust, decorated with edible pansies from her garden. Yummy!

We’re also both grateful to Tyrone A Batstone, caretaker of the Airbnb and paramedic at the Cape Shore Ambulance next door, without whom none of us would have experienced the beauty of the brook in St. Bride’s and Gooseberry Cove. There were no signs and driving in our direction, we would have completely missed these. So thanks for the tourist tips, firewood, your dog Skipper and fireside company Tyrone!

If there’s something you’re missing in your life, focus on the essence of it and ask the Universe to show you a way. Then live moments of that feeling every day.

I’m sure my appreciation for my neighbourhood and the thousands of photos I’ve shared of its beauty on social media, inspiring others to get outdoors is part of why this has all unfolded.

Live in the Feeling Tone (the L.I.F.T. practice as one of my teachers Derek Rydall calls it) and open to receiving. But don’t forget to ask.

Stay tuned for future blessings emerging from my creative collaborations and co-creations.

One Step At A Time

I can’t believe how much we saw, did and experienced in 4 days! I’ll admit, I was overwhelmed when faced with thousands of photos and videos on 2 cameras (iPhone XI pro and SLR).

But I like to finish one project before starting another and had another staycation booked in less than a week.

So I took a deep breath (not to lose the blissful feeling from my trip) and tackled this project one step at a time.

This resulted in 7 mini videos that I shared on Facebook and Youtube in the week prior to this post. Then, it was much less daunting to put them together into one project, improving on some editing choices along the way as I’m still learning all this stuff.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by any project in your life, I wanted you to know you’re not alone. Just take it in bite-sized chunks, one step at a time, and celebrate each win!

Whether de-cluttering your house, raising a child, creating a new piece of art or doing your taxes… one step at time…. and breathe deeply. You can do it!

New Music

If you’ve been following me for years, you know that I’ve been using the same 5 royalty free songs purchased from Christopher Lloyd Clarke in my meditation and scenic videos.

I still love those tracks, but am happy to report that this video features a new addition to my collection, “Enlighten Me”.

Now you may think it strange to have Tibetan throat singing, gongs and singing bowl instead of Irish jigs for a Newfoundland & Labrador video…. but being out in nature brings out a combination of my mindful zen nature and childlike curiosity & wonder. So in my mind, this new music was perfect for it. Let me know if you agree in the comments below.

P.S. I’ll be publishing every 2 weeks instead of weekly for the rest of the summer. If you’re in the mood for more, enjoy browsing my blog history and website. There’s lots to explore. Enjoy!

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Flatrock Waterfalls – One of Mother Earth’s Powerful Energy Vortexes

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There are places on this planet that you know will instantly recharge you. The waterfalls near the East Coast Trailhead in Flatrock does it for me. Can you feel it in this video? Breathe in the beauty as you experience it through my eyes along with “Across the Sky” by Christopher Lloyd Clarke.

The first time I went, I could almost see the energy vortex. I could certainly feel it. It’s the strongest energy I’ve felt in Newfoundland & Labrador.

One of the reasons I like this island so much is that it rarely gets too hot. Even though we’d had frost warnings at the Summer Solstice, we also had a Humidex of 33 Celsius (91.5F) on June 23rd. That’s too much for me.

So at 6am, I headed to my friend Leslie’s to drive out together to Flatrock (25km) for a bit of a nature soak before the heat, before the grocery store opened, and before my full workday.

We stayed 2 hours.

I confess. Although the camera often helps me to be more present, my new film-making passion gets me so creatively excited that I sometimes forget to slow down.

Luckily, I really enjoy filming time lapses, which means putting the camera on a tripod and leaving it there for an hour or more.

So that’s what I did.

While Leslie went hiking up the cliffs to journal, I took my boots & socks off to ground, bare skin on the rocks. With the waterfalls to my left and the ocean to my right, I was in my happy place.

Making sure I spend some time every day skin to skin with Mother Earth has done wonders for me. If you haven’t seen The Earthing Movie, I recommend it. I always knew about the power of nature, but wasn’t aware that our rubber soles stopped the flow of healing energy.

Where’s your go-to spot when you need to recharge? Your backyard? neighbourhood trail? I’d love to know. Please leave a comment below.

P.S. When I don’t include the actual sounds of the water or other nature elements, it’s because it was too windy. I’ll have to figure out a way to get better quality audio for you. Still learning. 🙂 

P.P.S. It’s time I purchase some new royalty free songs to use in my meditations & videos as you’ve been hearing the same 5 for several years. If you’d like to contribute to my creative life, check out my online shop for oracle decks, intuitive services, original paintings & prints. Thanks!

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Courageous Creativity Interview & Mandala Meditation

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How wonderfully generous of Amanda Mauk to share with us the video of our interview from her Courageous Creativity Summit. If you missed my Intuitive Painting, Intuitive Living talk or would like to experience the Mandala Meditation again, here’s your chance.

You’ll also hear more about my background and both intuitive living & painting. I do get enthusiastic about it all!

So get out your crayons, paints, collage images – whatever feels right for you. You can start on an ordinary sheet of paper to sketch out what you might draw / create later, or keep it small.

As I guide you through the 3 circles, you can stop the video to work on each part or wait until the end of the meditation to flow with the feelings & memories of your experience.

Your way is the right way. Trust yourself & have fun.

If you have follow up questions or comments about any of it, jot it down below and I’ll gladly answer it for you.

P.S. You can access the 75-minute Intuition into Action tutorial I talk about by signing up here. That will also get you on my bi-weekly art & inspiration letter that I’ll send to your inbox. 

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Affirmations Video for a Happy Healthy Life

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May you be nourished by the healing energy and beauty of Mother Nature during this 15-minute video inspired by a staycation at The Country Experience on Hawco’s Pond in Deer Park, Newfoundland & Labrador.

For an even more powerful experience, repeat the affirmations out loud, allowing yourself to feel their truth in your life. Then breathe deeply and expand that feeling out into the Universe as you watch.

Celebrating Life

As much as I craved solitude for my first monthly creative staycation (which resulted in A Prayer for Our Times), I was thrilled to share this experience with my good friend Leslie Bridger.

The timing was perfect as June 14th was Leslie’s rebirthday, 15 years after a near-fatal bicycle accident in Toronto. Doctors had little hope for her when she came out of her induced coma, but she not only recovered from her physical and brain injuries, she turned her life around.

Sharing her love of life and belief in the healing powers of Mother Earth and the Elements has become her mission. She came out of her coma understanding that we are all interconnected Divine Beings, like points of light on a giant web. Her love for humanity is great – a wonderful influence on me.

I already knew she was a perfect traveling companion, having house-sat together in Nova Scotia for a couple of weeks in 2017. I don’t say that because she loves to cook and I love to eat! It does help, though.

We also understand each other’s need for balanced activity time together and time alone to work on our projects – my video art, her book.

I couldn’t have asked for a better staycation. Indeed, it was just what my Spirit Calling Cards suggested on the morning of our departure:

The Gift of Life

You don’t have to almost die to realize you deserve to live the life you were born to live.

With COVID-19, more people have taken the time to reflect on the preciousness of life. After the shock of having been kicked off the hamster wheel, many have simplified, prioritized, re-organized their lives to focus on what truly matters. Some didn’t have a choice!

From small changes to major life decisions, they’ve sought the opportunities emerging from these challenging times.

What about you?

Wherever you are on your transformational journey, life invites you, through experience, to make the choices that serve your Highest Good. Only you can make those choices; only you can take that responsibility.

What’s right for you may not be what’s right for everyone else. Listen in and follow your intuition, one inspired step at a time.

And if the “buts” of your ego try to keep you small, acknowledge them and creatively love your way through and past them.

For example, my ego was telling me not to spend on staycations at a time when income has only been trickling in and I have thousands of dollars tied up in credit in Ireland since my 2-month trip was cancelled due to the pandemic . I knew, however, how instrumental a change of scene and break in routine could be for my creativity.

So, thinking outside the box, I offered friends who owned or managed properties, the opportunity of receiving photography of their sites in exchange for 3-night stays. Win-win!

When you set your heart on a goal and make life-affirming decisions, the Universe provides. Stay open to miracles! Ask and you shall receive.

Which affirmation from the video spoke most strongly to you? Please share it in the comments below.

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A Warbler’s Tale of Temporary Insanity

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My house sister Orinda has always had a connected relationship with our neighbourhood birds. There’s a seagull that pecks at her window if she’s in bed too long. The ravens from across the street come when she caws, announcing a new batch of suet in the winter. Often, a lone sparrow will sit with her for hours at the end of the day in mediation. And hundreds of little feathered friends relish at her seasonal buffet featuring David Suzuki’s peanut butter & seed recipe.

This is the first year since I moved here 6 years ago, however, that a yellow warbler has demonstrated such strange behaviour. 

Orinda had already been aware for a few hours that he had come as a messenger to get her attention before I came on the scene. She’d been listening for its important message, knowing he was there to fulfill her need for peace.

I shot a short video, fascinated, in between simply watching and listening in for what message he may be conveying. We were mystified. Is he eating bugs? No. Is he trying to get in? Is he trying to tell us something?

I even practiced my budding animal communication skills, but they were tainted by Lassie movies, thinking he wanted me to follow him because his mate was in trouble, stuck in the chimney or lying somewhere around the house. But my walkabout turned up nothing.

In our open minded curiosity and desire for clarity, we kept asking.

I even posted a short clip on Facebook and heard back that he thought his reflection was his competition and that he was fighting for his mate. Ah…..

The next morning at 6am, when I came upstairs from recording a Divine Storytelling Time intuitive reading for a client, he was already there.

And he stayed there, repeating the same patterns of flight until about 9pm. What energy! What determination! What futility!

It did, however, give me plenty of chances to play wildlife cinematographer. Another day of fun behind my camera – all the while my heart was listening for messages and reaching out to him in his useless behaviour.

But was it useless? At some point, I shared my interpretation of the messages I was receiving with Orinda.

She delighted in them, acknowledging that both he and the meaning I’d allowed to come through were an answer to her prayers.

So here it is. If you see a reflection of yourself in here somewhere, then may it help alleviate your suffering and bring a layer of peace to your day.

Namaste.

A WARBLER’S TALE OF TEMPORARY INSANITY

Have you ever gotten so caught up in a mental spin
Convinced there was something outside of you to fight about
Wasting your time
Wasting your energy
Wasting your peace of mind
For an illusion of your own making?

Have you ever found yourself defending your perspective
Arguing the measure of your rightness,
Competing for affection,
Jealous of a threat that never existed?

Have you ever butted heads
Fighting to be heard
Only to realize after days of going nowhere
Exhausted from repeating the same mistake
Reliving outdated patterns of thought or behaviour
That all this time
You were the only one there?

What a revelation
To awaken to the truth
That all you saw & believed
Was only a reflection of your own mind
No one was stepping on your toes
No one was clipping your wings
No one was invading your territory
Or pushing against your boundaries
No one was threatening your chance at love
Except you, yourself.
That’s who you were at war with
Battling your inner demons
Projecting your fears upon the world
You made it all up!
Face to face and
Fist to fist with your ego.

Insanity, Albert Einstein said
Is doing the same thing over and over again and
Expecting different results.

And that, dear yellow feathered friend
Is what you’ve come here to show us
Day after day
As you fight your own reflection
Competing with a non-existent foe
For a prize long gone while you were too busy trying to hold onto it.

Oh darling yellow warbler
It’s time to let go of your self-defeating efforts
You’ll never win against an imaginary adversary
Choose love instead
Choose life instead
For your mission here is done.
Our hearts reach out to you
Healed by your message,
Your wise & true teachings.

And once we’d understood the lesson you were here to demonstrate
We tried to deflect your reflection
But you only perched on our wisdom
Staring at your false belief
Swinging from your stance of self-sabotage
To come face to face again with your misperception of reality.

Oh blessed winged one
Please stop this temporary insanity
Don’t wear yourself out
Leaving yourself defenceless against the real enemies.
Can’t you see how your own thinking and doing
Drew them to you in the first place?

And until you find your way
Back home to where your mate awaits
We’re so grateful to know that
Someone has your back.
So sleep well tonight and rest your weary wings
And please don’t come back again and again and again tomorrow.

Thank you dearest messenger
And goodnight to you
Fare ye well
To where your return is awaited.

For as the Course in Miracles says,
On the card my house sister pulled to shed further light
Upon the true purpose of your visit for her:

“You are altogether irreplaceable in the Mind of God
No one else can fill your part of it
And while you leave your part of it empty
Your eternal Place merely waits for your return.” T167

So please return to your nest.
And here, we too, shall rest
In Peace reborn

 

P.S. This was the truth of the moment. In the next few days, its messages morphed according to Orinda’s state of being. The original message wasn’t fixed in time. Its message for you may be completely different. Have fun exploring the layers of meaning-making or meaning-revealing.

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